Landscape Character Assessment of North Hertfordshire

RIVER OUGHTON AND location assessment evaluation guidelines PURWELL VALLEYS Area 217 LOCATION LANDSCAPE CHARACTER AREA LANDSCAPE CHARACTER The Purwell rises to the south east of Hitchin Traditionally cattle grazed water meadows with running broadly northward to join the River Hiz, poplar, willow and ash trees along the beyond the District boundary. The River Oughton watercourses. Self seeded mature hawthorn is a tributary of the Purwell running, along the also randomly distributed. Mature landscape northern boundary to Hitchin. The District character well defined by urban development boundary follows the northern length of the water (Hitchin). Trees restrict views. General change course. of land use adjacent to Ickleford where land is predominantly used for horse grazing and stabling. Paddocks are defined by post and barbed wire fencing. Character Area is crossed, in several locations, by the mainline railway which runs on embankment. Oughtonhead Common, to the west, managed as a local nature reserve. KEY CHARACTERISTICS ● Grazed water meadows ● Meandering water course with associated ponds and water bodies ● Linear woodland belts following the water course DISTINCTIVE FEATURES ● Mainline railway on embankment ● Public parkland at Ickleford ● Oughtonhead Common Nature Reserve ● Purwell Mill Nature Reserve North Hertfordshire and Stevenage Landscape Character Assessment Babtie Group Page 111 RIVER OUGHTON AND location assessment evaluation guidelines PURWELL VALLEYS Area 217 ASSESSMENT PHYSICAL INFLUENCES Oughtonhead Common and Nature Reserve contains one of the largest fen woodlands in Geology & soils Hertfordshire, and is of considerable ecological Poor draining gleyed soils over alluvial drift interest. The rivers Oughton and Hiz both have predominate. unusual habitat, and is probably the single most important feature of the site. Also present are Topography areas of marshy grassland and fen. Purwell Flat valley bottom. Ninesprings is another ecologically valuable wetland with mature alder woodland, sedge and Degree of slope reed beds. Negligible. Typical wetland species include southern marsh Altitude range orchid, marsh valerian and tussock sedge, whilst 45m to 63m. fauna includes water rail, kingfisher, water vole and water shrew and the nationally notable musk Hydrology beetle. Well defined water courses of the rivers Oughton and Purwell with multiple channels and Railway sidings that run through this Character associated water bodies. Area typically have scrub communities that can be of value to wildlife. Land cover and land use The dominant land use is grazing land within a HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES patchwork of copses. Sheep grazing on dryer land, cattle on wetter areas and horse grazing A cropmark of a sub-rectangular enclosure is adjacent to urban fringe. situated to the northwest of Hitchin. Vegetation and wildlife Field patterns Dominant trees are poplar, willow, ash and The historic agricultural landscape is composed of hawthorn. Scrub dog rose on dryer ground. a mixture of enclosed meadow pasture, prairie Hawthorn often grazed to form a standard tree fields where abutting neighbouring Pirton Lowlands (LCA 218) with relict elements within This Character Area is characterised by a series 18th century and later enclosure, commons with of river valleys and associated wetland an open margin to the north of Hitchin. On the communities. The wetland habitats associated periphery of Hitchin lies a mixture of 19th-20th with the Rivers Hiz and Oughton are highlighted century plantation, allotments, post-1950s as being of high biodiversity status and ecological enclosure, prairie fields with post-1950s boundary importance by the Hertfordshire Biodiversity loss and commons with an open margin. On the Action Plan. southern edge of Ickleford lies an area of informal medieval parkland. Today there is no apparent Ickleford Common is a rare example of an field pattern due to the use of this area for unimproved and traditionally managed grassland. pasture. Where horse paddocks have been It is recognised as a key neutral grassland habitat introduced post and wire fencing is dominant. by the Hertfordshire Biodiversity Action Plan. Transport pattern Watercress beds and a number of rough The Character Area is crossed a number of times unimproved/semi-improved wet grassland by the mainline railway on embankment. The communities are located adjacent to the River A505 crosses the Character Area in the centre of Hiz. Some of these meadows are old, and have Hitchin. relict ditches and hedgebanks. Diverse wetland habitats including sedge-beds and reedbeds, Settlements and built form marsh communities and spring-fed pools can be The historic settlement pattern is sparse found at Cadwell Marsh and Bury Mead Springs containing no documented traditional buildings. Nature Reserve. Unimproved damp grasslands, The urban edge of Hitchin defined the extent of spring-fed wetland communities and watercress the river corridor. Railway infrastructure also beds occur around the River Purwell and its dominates. tributaries. North Hertfordshire and Stevenage Landscape Character Assessment Babtie Group Page 112 RIVER OUGHTON AND location assessment evaluation guidelines PURWELL VALLEYS Area 217 EVALUATION VISUAL AND SENSORY PERCEPTION ACCESSIBILITY A mature water meadow landscape enclosed over Only local sections are public accessible, there part of its length by urban development. North of is no continuous public right of way following the Hitchin the river flows across an open large scale water courses. The Icknield Way long distance arable landscape. The tree cover and pastureland path crosses the river and railway at Ickleford. provide a welcome contrast with the surrounding North of Ickleford there is no access to the river. landscape. Railway noise is an issue. COMMUNITY VIEWS Rarity & distinctiveness This landscape type is not uncommon within the Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) have county. undertaken Tier B (Community of Place) consultations. Views of the local community VISUAL IMPACT have been sought and contributor’s responses to each of the Character Areas will be analysed Views are restricted along the river corridor by well and a summary of the responses provided by established blocks of vegetation. The urban fringe HCC. dominates/intrudes where tree cover is less well established. LANDSCAPE RELATED DESIGNATIONS LC1 Landscape Conservation Area LNR Purwell Meadows North Hertfordshire and Stevenage Landscape Character Assessment Babtie Group Page 113 RIVER OUGHTON AND location assessment evaluation guidelines PURWELL VALLEYS Area 217 EVALUATION CONDITION Land cover change: Localised Age structure of tree cover: Mature Extent of semi-natural habitat survival: Widespread Management of semi-natural habitat: Good Survival of cultural pattern: Declining/Relic Impact of built development: High Impact of land-use change: Moderate Matrix Score: Moderate ROBUSTNESS Impact of landform: Apparent Impact of land cover: Prominent Impact of historic pattern: Insignificant Visibility from outside: Locally visible Sense of enclosure: Contained Visual unity: Unified Distinctiveness/rarity: Unusual Matrix Score: Moderate Strengthen and Conserve and Safeguard and GOOD reinforce strengthen manage Improve and Improve and Conserve and restore reinforce conserve CONDITION MODERATE Reconstruct Improve and Restore condition to POOR restore maintain character WEAK MODERATE STRONG ROBUSTNESS North Hertfordshire and Stevenage Landscape Character Assessment Babtie Group Page 114 RIVER OUGHTON AND location assessment evaluation guidelines PURWELL VALLEYS Area 217 GUIDELINES STRATEGY AND GUIDELINES FOR MANAGING CHANGE: Improve and Conserve ● Promote and encourage maintenance of existing pastureland within the river valley ● Promote the creation of new and retention of existing ditches connecting to the river ● Promote and encourage the biodiversity of locally native species ● Promote and maintain semi-natural habitats along the river ● Promote the planting of trees including appropriate protection within grazing areas ● Where appropriate promote and encourage public access to the river ● Avoid damage to the riverbanks as a result of agricultural or other practices ● Do not clear vegetation from river banks where evidence of use for perching and nesting North Hertfordshire and Stevenage Landscape Character Assessment Babtie Group Page 115 .

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